How to make The Midlife Kitchen’s pumpkin and ginger cheesecake

It doesn’t have to be autumn to enjoy pumpkin, you know. Also, these vibrant veg have “been shown in studies to have an anti-diabetic effect, which means it can help stabilise and control blood-glucose levels”, say The Midlife Kitchen cookery book writers, Mimi Spencer and Sam Rice – and that’s even in cheesecake form.

Here’s how to whip up their delicious take on the favourite dessert…

Ingredients:

(Serves 8)

125g Midlife LSA (see below) or ground almonds

2tsp ground ginger

75g Medjool dates, pitted and finely chopped

2tbsp coconut oil, melted if solid

1 egg white, lightly whisked

For the Midlife LSA (makes approx 12tbsp – store in the fridge):

6tbsp flaxseeds (another name for linseeds)

4tbsp sunflower seeds

2tbsp whole almonds (skin on)

For the filling:

250g ricotta cheese

150g thick Greek yogurt

400g can pumpkin purée (100% pumpkin)

60ml runny honey

2 large eggs

2tbsp lemon juice

2tsp ground cinnamon

1tbsp peeled and finely grated fresh root ginger

To serve:

A handful of fresh raspberries

More runny honey for drizzling

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Line a 20cm springform cake tin with greaseproof paper.

Using a coffee grinder or spice mill, pulse the Midlife LSA ingredients in batches until finely ground.

To make the cheesecake base, combine the LSA (or ground almonds if using), ground ginger, dates and coconut oil in a bowl. Mix well, using your fingers to create a crumb, ensuring the dates are evenly distributed. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared tin, then brush it with egg white (this keeps the base layer crisp) and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.

Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C/Gas Mark 3.

To make the filling, put the ricotta cheese into a food processor or blender and whizz until completely smooth. Add the remaining filling ingredients and blend until combined.

Pour the filling over the cooled base, then bake for 50 minutes until the cheesecake is cooked through but still has a bit of a wobble in the middle. Turn off the oven, leaving the cake inside to cool completely. Transfer to the fridge and chill for at least two hours to firm up.

To serve, remove the cheesecake from the tin, place on a serving dish and top with the raspberries. Drizzle with honey just before serving. This cheesecake is deliberately not overly sweet so, for those with a sweeter tooth, serve with a little extra honey on the side.